Bottom side-roll feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine, U.S.A.
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Authors
Ware, Colin
Wiley, David N.
Friedlaender, Ari S.
Weinrich, Mason
Hazen, Elliott L.
Bocconcelli, Alessandro
Parks, Susan E.
Stimpert, Alison K.
Thompson, Mike A.
Abernathy, Kyler
Subjects
humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
bottom feeding
bottom side-rolls
coordination
entanglement
Megaptera novaeangliae
bottom feeding
bottom side-rolls
coordination
entanglement
Advisors
Date of Issue
2013
Date
Publisher
Language
Abstract
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known for the variety and complexity
of their feeding behaviors. Here we report on the use of synchronous motion
and acoustic recording tags (DTAGs) to provide the first detailed kinematic descriptions
of humpback whales using bottom side-rolls (BSRs) to feed along the seafloor.
We recorded 3,505 events from 19 animals (individual range 8–722). By animal,
mean BSR duration ranged from 14.1 s to 36.2 s.; mean body roll angle from 80º to
121º, and mean pitch from 7º to 38º. The median interval between sequential BSRs,
by animal, ranged from 24.0 s to 63.6 s and animals tended to maintain a consistent
BSR heading during long BSR series encompassing multiple dives. BSRs were most
frequent between 2200 and 0400. We identify three classes of behavior: simple
side-roll, side-roll inversion, and repetitive scooping. Results indicate that BSR
feeding is a common technique in the study area and there is both coordination and noncoordination between animals. We argue that this behavior is not lunge feeding
as normally characterized, because animals are moving slowly through the event.
The behavior also leads to vulnerability to entanglement in bottom-set fishing gear,
a major mortality factor for the species.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12053
Series/Report No
Department
Oceanography
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funding for TrackPlot development was provided by an ONR grant to Colin Ware (ONR N0014091601) and from NOAA Grant #NA05NOS4001153 to the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. Field work and analysis was supported by Office of Naval Research grant N00014-08-0630 (to SEP, DW), National Oceanographic Partnership Program (to DW), the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Funder
Format
Citation
Marine Mammal Science, 2013, DOI: 10.1111/mms.12053
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.